UK Open Part 2

We had ten games scheduled for day 2, the first seven completing the 'half' round-robin - the field had been split into two equally rated groups - and then the swiss pairing would kick in.

Game 9: Chrys Placca. Chrys started with ZINGERS for 104 and my rack was not great, being consonant heavy. M(I)TTEN and more consonants but a vowel dump by Chrys and I could play HITCH for 43. SNOO(Z)E from Chrys but my XU countered that. CORK for 40 from Chrys and I was almost back where I started. Chrys now got way too defensive, my openings outscoring his blocking on every move. A large dose of luck for me when I picked both blanks and my bonus took me into the lead for the first time. We were nip-and-tuck until the end game where a high-scoring DEB(B)Y saw me home.

Game 10: Nuala O'Rourke. Nuala had had a dreadful day 1 but had won her first game of day 2. Unfortunately for her this was not the start of a run. Five bonuses from me - NAIVETE, TOLUIDE(S), ARSHIN(E)S, PALEsTR(A) and TOUSIER against her SWEA(T)IEr gave me my biggest win of the tourney.

Game 11: Mikki Nicholson. REDSTAR(T), TINKERE(D) and FADDIE(S)T by move 5 gave me a substantial lead. AREOLES and COSMEAS from Mikki reduced the lead considerably but he ran out of tiles to overhaul me.

Game 12: Steve Perry. Can't remember much about this game... I won

Game 13: Nigel Richards. Can't remember much about this game... I lost

Game 14: Philips Owolabi. I got off to a good start but Philips was not letting me go without a fight. I was pleased with my spot of BAT(A)VIA hooking (PIQUE)T which got me 45+5 (I kept an S that would be not fit), and was a little surprised to be hit with JINNEE for 67 off the opening it made. A costly error by Philips with ENDER hooking 5 words for a very large score - unfortunately for him one of them was (BEL)D - it seemed like an eternity before he hit the clock. I could block the danger spot and picked the last S which Philips probably would have got...

Game 15: Phil Robertshaw. Phil opened with a phony. I didn't notice and even went as far as mis-tracking what my brain thought he'd played as opposed to what he had. Interestingly even if I had noticed I would probably, after wasting time, have let it stand as OROADES gave me the floater I needed for PINE(R)IES and with no 7 and no way of stopping ROADEOS next go what the heck. After that things went downhill... a 20 move game with Phil averaging 59.9 a go :)

We were now starting the Swiss pairing.

Game 16: Craig Beevers. My opening play of JEFE was hit with HARDLiN(E). I counterpunched with (D)OITIT for 14. All he could respond with was SENARII. A cunning set up play of OWE from me - splitting the lovely UW combo. A very neat RORY from Craig for a mere 46. But then I took off in chase. FADEOUT (87), HEtAE(R)IA (79), ZOA (65) and suddenly I had overhauled his lead. CAIN from Craig and I was faced with a decision - CROWD or COWARD to restrict the bonus line or hold back the W for W(AI). I made the choice based on a consonant-heavy bag. MISAVER from Craig that otherwise would not have gone on. But I had the X for 52 and a small lead again. P(I)GGED from Craig matched with TITE from me. Another consonant dump of LOV(i)NG from Craig. I had a lucky pickup and QU(A)IL for 48. Craig's last rack of ACKLMPS and I had EENNTUY. KLAPS from Craig for 59 and a 17 point lead. I could only see one place for him to play out and blocked it with TEEN for 23. If he blocked my playout of (L)UNY I could score enough with YU to win. Craig spent the remainder of his time trying to find a win and in the end tried C(A)M(I) which I challenged off.

Thankfully it was dinner after this game...

Game 17: Harshan. Harshan bonused first with REVISAL and I kept in touch extending my opening play to (FRANK)ING for 48. (G)ORMIEsT on move 8 saw me retake the lead which I held until move 11 when Harshan bonused with SENHORA to go a single point ahead. WOOT for 30 from me to block the 9x he had opened. Harshan blocked the high-scoring opportunity this had created with ID for 23 but I was home and dry as long as I didn't do anything stupid having picked the second blank.

Game 18: Bob Lynn. Two bonuses apiece in the early game (VEDA(L)IAS, LANTER(N)S by me, YANkERS, DE(S)POTIc from Bob). Bob pulled ahead with MIL(T)Z and then blocked my TRIADIS(M). On a tight board I was forced with my one-pointers to make openings and Bob was blocking. He made a mistake at the end, trying a single OODLE which I challenged off and my bingo went on to take a 10 point lead. We were both very low on the clock and I think Bob could have forced a draw but as it was he didn't find the two move playout so I managed a narrow victory.

So, 8-2 for the day, 15-3 for the tourney and one game clear in the lead ahead of Craig although his spread was a lot better than mine. Repeated my routine of the night before - half a cider, clear cardbox and go to bed...